


A Thief, A Host, and A Spirit

by Windferret



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Alchemy, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Child Death, Dream Demon, F/M, Human Sacrifice, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Morally unsound Ryou Bakura, Murder, Possessive Behavior, Rape/Non-con Elements, Yamis have their own Body
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-16
Updated: 2017-04-25
Packaged: 2018-09-17 21:20:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9345914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Windferret/pseuds/Windferret
Summary: Bakura begins to have disturbingly realistic night terrors that seem to be telling him something...about himself. Once Ryou's safety is compromised, Bakura's problems are exacerbated and he's pushed over the edge and into a darkness that hasn't been awakened for 3,000 years.





	1. Past Ghosts

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all! There are a few things I wanted to clarify before you get started reading this fic that will make reading so many characters much easier! 
> 
> -Timeline wise, this fic takes place after the events of The Millennium arc; The Yami's have been brought back and inhabit their own personal bodies. Millenium items can still be used to harness the shadows.  
> -Yami Bakura is referred to as Bakura, and Bakura Ryou is referred to simply as Ryou  
> -Malik Ishtar is the 'Light', whereas Yami Malik is referred to as 'Marik'. There is a one letter difference, so pay attention as to not be confused!  
> -Yami Yugi will be going by 'Atem' and 'Pharaoh', with most of his memories in tact  
> -Thief King Bakura will be referred to as Akefia, which is a fitting (and fan given) name! Akef would be the Egyptian variation, but to keep from confusing anyone I'll just use Akefia.
> 
> *There are depictions of sexual assault in this work; Warnings will be given at the beginning of the chapter(s) in which this happens. There are also brief mentions of child death and (not child) torture, so please be aware of this!

_ “Catch the bastard and kill him before he gets away!” A palace guard shouted at his goons, ordering the men to chase after the figure that danced along the edges of the shadows. The thief, who was so pompously self entitled as the King Of Thieves, outmaneuvered the men with ease, skirting off into the night with a hefty satchel filled with precious gems and jewel encrusted goldware. An arid desert breeze lifted the hood from the Bandit’s head momentarily, with a shock of hair colored stark white against the black of the ancient Egyptian night sky reflecting the moonlight. Tonight, the Thief King had no desire to toy around with the same old useless guards; There were things that needed to be set in place to prepare for the ritual. After thousands of years reliving the same horrors of his retched existence and being switched between countless unworthy hands throughout millennia, his host was finally ready; He was finally ready. After spending what felt like an endless span of time swimming about his own memories, The Thief King was but  fragment of his former self; A former self that desperately wanted to be reawakened along with the  evil and darkness he was born out of all those years ago.  _

 

_ ****************************************************************************** _

  
  


Crickets chirped loudly outside Ryou's window as he slept. The night was gorgeous, and it was a good evening to have the window open to let the gentle breeze roll in.

 

At least, that's what Ryou thought.

 

Bakura, on the other hand, lay next to his snoozing doppelganger wide awake and pissed off.

 

"Ryou, are you awake?" he whispered, peeking over the small rising and falling shoulder, just to see an angelic—and sleeping—face.

 

He rolled over with a grunt and threw his legs over the side of the huge king sized bed. He recoiled with a hiss when his warm, bare feet touched the freezing cold hardwood floor. Sluggishly, he dragged himself into the darkened hallway and felt around for the light switch.

"Now where the hell are you, you stupid thing…?" he muttered, feeling along the length of the wall. As he slid his hands around, he finally felt the small protrusion.

 

"Ah! There you... are…" He slurred, a wave of languor like he had never felt before hitting him like a sack of bricks.                   

 

"Ow..." he groaned, trying to stand. He couldn't. "The hell…?" He said, fluttering his eyelids in confusion. Each time he blinked, it felt like his eyelids were  held down with lead weights, until finally he succumbed to the strange and overwhelming weariness.

  
  


After what felt like less than half a second of sleep, Bakura's eyes flew open and he jumped up quickly. He wasn't in the hallway of his and Ryou's apartment anymore. The only thing he saw was sand. Everything around him was set ablaze, and frantic people were fleeing everywhere, shrieking and flailing every which way. Blood stained small areas, and a powerful feeling of death was upon the small village he found himself in. A woman dashed straight towards him, screaming loudly as a man dressed in opulent and palace-worthy black robes tailed close behind her, sword poised for the kill. With an unfaltering aggression and heartless disregard, he ran the woman through like butter with his pointed blade, dragging the corpse to a flight of stairs and carelessly pulling it behind him like a dog.

 

Bakura stared wide eyed at the man, following him with his eyes. Did they not see him? No, he thought; They must have. It happened right in front of him.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed as he held up his hand. It was ghostly translucent, and to make things even more unbelievable, a man sprinted straight through him, like mist in the morning. He too was killed by a guard and hauled off to the stairwell that had caught Bakura's eyes  moments ago.

 

"Where am I …?" He muttered, walking over to the stairwell and following a grim faced guard down the secret passageway.A Jarring chorus of shrieks and howls of pain made Bakura pale, and heat hit him like a freight train-- the smell of searing flesh made him gag. The blood soaked soldiers lobbed the  crumpled bodies into a huge pot, laughing darkly. The slain villagers’ broken limbs hung over the edges of the massive cast iron cauldron, their skin blistering and bubbling against the hot metal.

 

"No! Help, mommy! Daddy!" A young girl of about seven screamed, tears rolling down her cheeks.

 

"You'll be reunited with those dogs in a moment, brat." A guard chuckled, twisting the girls head sharply in an unnatural manner, snapping her neck.

 

Bakura stifled a yell and felt sick to his stomach. If this was a nightmare, he was ready to wake up this instant. The little girl was tossed into the boiling cauldron too, just like the others.

 

"Hmph, well that's ninety nine!" A middle aged man snickered, marveling at his bloody masterpiece. "Now the sacrifice is complete…" he said triumphantly, laughing loudly. “Egypt will truly be saved from invaders and we shall harness the power of The Gods!”

 

Bakura sank down to his knees and clasped his hands over his ears. This place was horrible. The smell of dead bodies nearly smothered him, and he could see restless souls beginning to roam about, swarming around the death trap. He had never seen any of these people before, didn't know them, didn't even know they existed. But for some reason, he felt as if his entire world, and everyone in it, had just been abruptly ripped away from him. He didn’t have the right words-- or any words, for that matter-- to describe the strange hollow feeling he was experiencing. This was something not even the most wishful thinking could will away it seemed, and Bakura was trapped like a caged animal within his own subconscious’ prison. The agonized screaming had now diminished to moans and quiet wails as the last of the villagers met their demise. Bakura finally opened his eyes after what felt like an eternity of the gore carrying on.

He looked up briefly, and stumbled backwards when he noticed a small face peeking from behind a wall;  It was a young boy with sun kissed skin and impossibly white hair, just like his own.


	2. Routine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A seemingly normal action can cause unexpected consequences.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I know I said this was meant to be updated like, literal months ago, but college gets kind of busy lmfao sorry. Please enjoy!

Ryou turned and writhed in his sleep. He opened his eyes a smidge, and ran his hand across where his yami usually sleeps, opening them completely when he felt that the area was cold and missing a body. Ryou wasn’t unused to waking up in the middle of the night to find Bakura completely missing, as he often took late evening cigarette breaks, much to Ryou’s chagrin. This time though, something felt off, and instead of familiar annoyance Ryou felt an air of dread hovering about in the air.

"Bakura?" he groaned, pulling off his blanket and crawling across the large queen sized bed to the floor. He checked the darkened room, opening closet doors and even swiping his feet underneath the bed a few times for good measure. Not finding him there, or anywhere for that matter, Ryou stood puzzled. A small sliver of light shone into the black room and caught the whitehead’s attention. He peered around the door and his tensed shoulders relaxed when he saw his other half, but stiffened once more just as quickly when he realized Bakura was on the floor, cheek pressed into the carpet and his left arm outstretched as if he’d been reaching for something.

"Bakura?" he repeated, kneeling down next to him. He reached out and shook his shoulder; his skin was cool to the touch, as if he’d been laying on the floor for quite some time. "Bakura! Please, come on wake up!" He begged, turning Bakura onto his back and cupping his face.

 

Bakura knelt on the bloodied floor, his hands entangled in his messy white locks. He couldn't do anything, a prisoner to this twisted dream.

"Stop…" he said, his voice quivering. He couldn't figure out why he was having the visions, But they seemed so real, like he had been through this entire horrible nightmare before. Vaguely did the villagers remind him of a family, one that he knew personally. Vaguely did that petrified little boy remind him of himself. Vague. That's all this was to him.

"Eeek!" Came a high pitched shriek that made Bakura's blood run cold.  
He whipped his head around to see that the guards seized the white haired, sun kissed child. He struggled helplessly against the strong , immovable men.

"We have ninety nine already, but one more wouldn't hurt, would it little fella?" Laughed a hooded guard, taking a fistful of snowy white hair and throwing the boy to the ground forcefully.  
Bakura couldn't watch anymore. He turned his head as a swift kick was delivered to the boy's side.

"STOP IT!" he shouted.

 

And just like that, the dream snapped back into his mind and he opened his eyes to see a particularly disturbed Ryou.

"Bakura! Thank goodness you’re okay." Ryou said, trembling noticeably, a relieved smile on his face.

Bakura sat up quickly, making Ryou flinch backwards. He hadn't meant to scare him. In fact, Bakura was probably the more shaken up of the two of them, but he'd never admit it. He simply put on his typical cold and untouchable face.

"What are you doing out of bed?" He asked, narrowing his eyes. “Weren't you telling me the other day how you’ve been so exhausted?”

"What am I doing…? You were passed out in the middle of the hallway!" Ryou spat back defensively. 

"I was fine. You're going to catch a cold if you stay out here, you know. " He replied stonily, standing abruptly.

Ryou glared up at his darkness, pink color beginning to make its way onto his cheeks. “Thanks for your concern.” He stood too, stomping past him and slamming their bedroom door.

"Baby sitting you is my day job so..." Bakura muttered, not even turning to twist the doorknob which he knew was locked. He made his way into the kitchen, checking the time. 7:00. He probably should’ve said something to Ryou about getting ready for school, but he’d let him figure it out on his own. Serves the brat right for locking the door.

With an annoyed huff , he stood in front of the curtained window in his living room. The sun was just starting to break over the horizon and wash Domino in its pink and orange light, but it brought no comfort to the shaken Yami. The bright colors just seemed to be nagging at his mind, reminding him of the fire and brimstone from the dream. 

Losing interest in the covered window, he went to the linen closet and pulled out a pair of black jeans and a simple gray shirt. He always kept extra clothes there just incase he wanted to sneak out for a bit of trouble making and didn't want to wake Ryou. Less for the other boy’s regard, and more so that he could slip away unnoticed. Gathering up the rest of the clothes he would wear, he strolled into the bathroom and slipped out of his loosely fit pajamas. He stretched lazily with a sigh, sticking his head under the showerhead and letting the warm water soothe his stiff neck. Sleeping on the floor wasn't the most comfortable thing he's ever done, and it had painful results. Memories of that horrific nightmare filled his mind, and he shuddered. He didn't want to think about that.

Before he could think about it too deeply, he was startled by three irate sounding knocks on the door followed by his light’s voice. 

“Why didn’t you tell me I was supposed to be getting ready?” Ryou growled through the door, twisting the locked door irritatedly. 

“You slammed the door in my face before I could get a word out.” Bakura replied, just as perturbed. Well, truth was he really wasn’t going to say anything, but he wasn’t known for being much of an honest abe. He dressed quickly, throwing his long hair in a hopelessly messy excuse for a pony tail and abruptly unlocked and pushed open the door, making Ryou stumble backwards.

"What are you just standing there for? Shouldn't you be getting ready for school?" Bakura snickered, squeezing past his angry light. His smirk widened when he heard the door slam again behind him, followed by a few crass words from the other.

The day seemed to be going pretty well after all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Have a nice day hikari…" Bakura said with mock sincerity as they neared Domino University.   
Ryou threw a glare over his shoulder and kept walking.

"Ouch…" Bakura muttered, a mean hearted little smirk still playing on his lips. "Are you…angry with me, Ryou?" He asked, grabbing his wrist.

"Let go of me." Ryou barked.

"What did I do? " Bakura asked, sounding hurt. This was beginning to be fun.

"I'm going to be late." Ryou said, snatching his hand away and speeding up his already quick pace.

“Come on, I said I was sorry. I really mean it…” He said, pouting a bit and stopping to look pitiful. “Please forgive me…?” He asked, trying to keep the mischievous smirk from being heard in his voice. 

Ryou stopped walking, but kept his back to the spirit.

"Are you being serious?" He asked, turning his head towards Bakura slightly.

"Like a heart attack…" Bakura said, his words coming out in an obvious purr as he strode over to close the distance between them, pressing his body into Ryous.

Ryou's face heated up considerably when he felt bakura's hand slip into his own.

"L-let me go…" Ryou said, his voice strained.

"But Ryou, with you being so mean to me and with the weather being so brisk, it’s really cold..." Bakura said, putting his face in the crook of his hikari's neck.

Ryou visibly stiffened when Bakura slipped a few frigid fingers under the hem of his shirt, lightly touching his waist.  
"That's so much warmer…now, were you mad at me?" Bakura whispered, his warm breath tickling Ryous ear.

"Let me go, you're going to cause a scene!" Ryou hissed. It came out sounding pathetic though, much to Bakura's amusement.

"Fine." He said. "As long as you know you can't ignore me forever, Hikari."

Ryou snatched away with a miffed glare and blushed crimson when a pair of girls a few paces behind him walked by giggling and giving him looks. 

"Bastard…" Ryou spat at Bakura before slumping his shoulders and focusing his attention back to getting into the school and away from Bakura as quickly as possible. 

With a triumphant grin, Bakura watched a bit to make sure he got into the building in one piece. Ryou had a bit of a reputation for being a pretty boy lady’s man, for some odd reason. He was just keeping tabs on the property is all. 

"You’re awfully campy this early in the morning." A bored voice came from behind him.  
Bakura turned to meet the gaze of Marik Ishtar’s dark half. God, he hated them. Both of them were annoying in their own unique and special way, but for whatever reason Ryou seemed to always invite them over. Most of the time Bakura wasn’t even in the house, so he couldn’t complain too much. Still, even just seeing one of them pissed him off. Annoying, stupid blondes.

"What are you doing over here?" He asked coldly, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes in an attempt to communicate very clearly that he didn’t approve of his presence.

"Dropping off my light. He prefers that I don’t, so I just keep a safe distance. You should try doing the same. For the sake of his reputation."

"Ha! What do I care about that little brats reputation? You should try to not be creepy, but here you are doing what you do best-- Being creepy."

"Hn." Was all the wild haired blonde said before turning towards the school. He looked distant as hell, and that was bothering him. Did anything ever go on in that brain of his after Battle city? Does he even have a brain?

"What are you staring at? Don't tell me you have a thing for college girls." Bakura said.

The blonde curled his lip slightly. "No. I'm making sure my light gets into the school in one piece."  
"He's on school grounds, I don't think any serial killers are going to be skulking around." Bakura said, with a small smirk.

"Hn. Well, I'm leaving." He said, turning on his heels and striding away.

"Wait."

"What?" Malik answered, sounding a bit put off. Well then.

“Do you have a brain? I mean I can’t really tell, my idiot senses are a little bit off today.”

“Go to hell.” He scoffed, rolling his eyes and making a face. 

“Been there, ruled that. Living a bit of a domestic life these days.” 

"I can see that…" Malik said, looking him up and down scathingly before continuing his departure.  
Bakura, finally satisfied, made his leave also. There was no point in talking to people unless you could get at least one jab in per day, so he made it sort of his daily goal. He was that ass hole. 

He continued on route back to their warm apartment, pulling his dark coat around him a bit tighter as a gust of wind kicked up a few orange leaves. What had Ryou said to do earlier…?

Don't forget to pick up the groceries when you're headed home, got it?

He groaned as he turned to corner onto the less than appealing shortcut through south domino.   
Bakura always carried a knife with him anyways, but he didn't particularly fancy the area. It was just a quicker way to get home. Screw the groceries, it was too cold outside for that.Today though, luck wasn't in his favor.

"Hey there," A dirty looking hoodlum asked. He had a nine o'clock shadow and his clothes were filthy. "What's a north side priss like yourself doing over here?"

Bakura narrowed his eyes at the man and shoved his hands in his pocket, grasping the knife in his hand, perfectly ready to whip it out and drive it into the man's sternum.

"Going home." He said frigidly.

He almost killed the man on the spot when he grabbed his wrist.

"Let go of me." He growled dangerously.

"Don't be so mean little guy, I only want to be your friend…" The man said, lust apparent in his false statement.

"I'm not in preschool, you disgusting filth." Bakura hissed, ripping his hand away.

"Doesn't look like you're very far out of it." The man chuckled, seizing his hand again.

Bakura grimaced. He knew that he didn't look like the oldest person in the world. Hell, he barely looked like he made it past 18, and he hated every waking moment of it. Weaker bodies generally possessed weaker tolerance to possession however, and at the time he wasn’t exactly being picky about a human vessel. 

"Piss off." Bakura snarled, finally letting his knife, sharp and ominous, get a taste of sunlight. He snatched his hand away a second time, making sure the blade was visible in his other clenched fist.

"Aww…you don't have to pull a knife on me kid, I was just being friendly…" the lecherous punk said, backing off a little. He straightened up though, standing tall. "Don't let me see your face on the south side again, wretch."

"Aw, is the big bad pedophile angry because he didn't get anything from the cute little boy?" He said, bristling at the thought of Ryou ending up in this same situation.

"Don't push my limits brat. You don't know me."

"Funny, I could say the same…"

With that last comment, he skulked off, turning around and deciding to take the longer, more pleasant way home through north domino.

"This won't be the last you hear of Tsukushi matsumoto! You messed with the wrong guy!" The brazen man shouted at Bakura.

It fell upon deaf ears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new character has been introduced! His name, just in case you didnt catch it, is Tsukoshi Matsumoto. He's an original and recurring character, so don't forget his name! This won't be the last you hear of him! 
> 
> Haha, I used a line from the chapter. I'm clever. Anyways, hope you enjoyed the update and please keep yourselves posted for future updates!!


	3. Shatter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes the truth can be scary and confusing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***CAUTION: Rape/Non-con is an event in this chapter. I'll always give a friendly note/reminder when this occurs, as a courtesy to all readers. ****

Bakura huffed and plopped down on the couch. Lately he'd been feeling weaker than usual, and the reason why was a bit of a mystery to him. Ryou, who was seated on the loveseat across the room finishing up a bit of homework, looked at him with concern.  
Ever since he found Bakura lying in the hallway he'd been a little more attentive to when the yami's usual attitude was off.

"Bakura, are you feeling sick?" He asked quietly.

"No, I'm just a little dizzy…I'm just going to go to sleep early tonight." He replied, heaving himself up and staggering down the hall to their bedroom.

Ryou watched after him until he closed the door, then switched on the TV to buy himself some time before he himself got tired.

"Three men evading arrest," Droned an anchorman. "For armed robbery and arson."

Ryou watched, interested. He always did have a fixation with the odd and terrible things that happened around him. 

"Hey Ryou, can you come here a sec—"

"Shh Kura, I'm trying to watch." Ryou said, hushing his darker half. He gripped the remote and turned the volume up. 

"Earlier this evening, a bright blaze was put out by firefighters in South Domino. Authorities say this fire was caused intentionally, and fingerprints have been recovered from the scene of the crime. If you have any whereabouts on these two men, please contact the police. Their names are Tsukoshi Matsumoto and –"

Bakura switched the TV off, throwing the remote across the room.

"Hey! I was watching that!" Ryou shouted.

"I don't care. I don't want you watching stuff like that."

"What am I, four? I can't watch the news?'

"Not the evening news."

"Ugh, you're impossible sometimes!" He said, grabbing the remote and turning the Television back on. "Oh man, I missed the rest of it!" He complained, pouting.

Bakura stalked off silently back into the bedroom and slammed the door, that being the only noise the spirit made.

"He is so confusing sometimes…" Ryou groaned, reluctantly turning the TV back off again and shutting off all the lights. A part of him was a little bothered by the fact that the police hadn't caught the two men yet, but he shook that thought off as he walked down the hall and peeked into his bedroom.

The room was still illuminated by a small desk lamp, and he noticed Bakura curled up tightly in the sheets, his face rather pallid. That caught Ryou's attention. He climbed across the bed and shook his yami's shoulder.

"Hey, do you think I should make a doctor's appointment for you?" he suggested.

"I don't need a doctor…" Bakura groaned, turning to face his lighter half. What he needed was a night to shut his mind up with drugs and cheap beer, but with as crappy as he was feeling, it didn't seem likely. He couldn't keep his eyes open, as much as he didn't want to go to sleep. He knew if he slipped into a dream he ran the chance of being brought back to that horrendous slaughter. He had been wondering though, if he was having the nightmares for a reason.  
He knew it was going to come back to bite him later, but he asked anyways.

"Hikari, is it possible for me to be the host of another spirit?"

The question caught Ryou off guard.

"Why…why do you ask? Is that even possible?"

"That's why I asked you." Bakura replied, trying to rub away weariness from his eyes.

Ryou sat with his legs crossed, his hand on his chin in a concentrated fashion, Bakura eyeing him curiously.

"Well," he began. "It might be possible that you have a suppressed portion of yourself that's still inside the millennium ring. It’s not like when I brought you back it was a foolproof process...Bakura?" Ryou asked, quirking a brow at the other, whose face was screwed up in contemplation. "Oh come now, don't tell me you actually think—"

"Yes Ryou, I think that's what's going on!" He spat, glaring at him and storming out of the bedroom, albeit a bit unsteady on his feet. Ryou scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"You don't have to be so mean!" he shouted at the closed door, which had been slammed.  
When a sharp reply didn't come from the other side, he opened the door just a crack to look out into the dark apartment.

"Oh not this again..." he muttered as he felt around in the dark, taking careful steps.  
"Ouch!" He yelped as he tripped over something warm. "Bakura, why the heck are you on the floor?" He scolded.

"Bakura?" A deep voice said with a chuckle. Ryou's blood ran cold as he watched a large shadow loom over him. He tripped over his own feet, his breath shaky and his hands trembling. What? Hadn’t he locked the door to the apartment when he got home earlier? Wasn’t this supposed to be a safe part of town? 

"That must be his little boyfriend's name." Another booming voice grunted as the lights were switched on. A tall, stalwart man smiled down at Ryou, who was now trembling in a corner. He was much taller than the petrified young man , and had a messy unshaven face, half hidden in a dark hoodie. "Tsukushi matsumoto, nice to meet you." He snickered, licking his lips.

Ryou stared up at him in wide eyed terror. He scanned his eyes frantically around the dark living room, looking for anything to defend himself with. There was nothing. His breath steadily got more and more shallow as the seconds ticked by. Shit. 

"Hey kenshi," Tsukoshi called over his shoulder. "You think he’s ready for this?

The one Ryou presumed to be Kenshi smiled crookedly. He was missing a few teeth and had a tattoo above his eyebrow, and wore dirty and stained clothes as well.

"Yeah, go for it man. Doesn't seem like he'd put up much of a fight."

Ryou's breathing quickened when he figured out what they were suggesting. His eyes scanned the room, wild and desperate as his breath became ragged and labored. This could not be happening to him in his own safe place. He lived too high up for him to try to make a break for the windows, and he’s sure he’d just get snatched by his hair and mercilessly beaten for trying to escape anyways. If theres one thing being bullied all through school taught him, it was that sometimes challenging your attacker made things even worse. While the apartments he and Bakura lived in were in North Side Domino, it was a relatively remote area meant for student housing. The fact that these thugs took the time to even come out this way...Ryou’s blood turned to ice. They were the men he saw on television earlier. 

"Hey Kenshi, what happened to that other little twerp I saw? I got into it with him earlier today. The little bastard pulled a knife on me though."  
head lolling and arms unmoving as he lay unconcius. "The mean looking one? Right here boss." He replied, dragging Bakura up by the hair. His body lay limp just across from where Ryou was being cornered, head lolling and arms unmoving as he lay unconcious. "We found him on the floor passed out not too far from the door remember?"  
Bakura's face was stark white in the dark room and he looked uncomfortable even in sleep. What was wrong with him lately? 

A sudden stinging pain made Ryou's heart nearly stop, bringing his attention right back to the himself rather than his ailing dark half. Tsukoshi had pulled a knife and held it to his throat.

"Please--”

“Don’t move or I’ll cut your throat so fast you wouldn’t even feel it.” Tsukoshi barked, grabbing Ryou’s collar and tugging it harshly. 

"Drop fluffy over there and join in, Kenshi." Tsukoshi demanded, running his finger along Ryou's chin and breathing heavily. Kenshi let go of Bakura, letting him drop to the floor, his head hitting the carpet with a thud.

"Please…!"Ryou begged, kicking and flailing when a hand slid up his shirt, another snaking its way into his pants. His efforts were useless on two people at once. He would shake one off, but the other would come back just as ravenous. One man's rough hands slipped easily into the elastic wasitband of Ryou's pajamas, yanking themm down just past the younger man's hips as the other clamped his hand around the younger booy's throat, keeping him immobile. "This'll be easier if you just pretend you enjoy it..." Tsukoshi breathed, grabbing the silver haired boys ankes and hoisting them over his head, despite his keening wails and shrill cries. "Bakura!" he weeped, tears slipping down his flushed and bruising cheeks. Bakura lay on the carpet, completely unconscious. "Bakura!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bakura opened his eyes to thousands of people crowded together, yelling loudly. He looked around in confusion, wondering what the fuss was about. A wave of panic surged through him. He remembered collapsing on the floor, weakened beyond belief. He also remembered seeing Tsukoshi and a second thug kick the door in before he finally surrendered to sleep.  
And here he was, trapped in his own troubled mind. He knew by now that whenever this happened he had no control over his body, which was basically rendered useless when he fell into his subconscious, and the very thought of that lecherous pervert in the same place as Ryou made his blood boil.

"There he is!" A woman cheered, pointing to a balcony. A young boy stepped out, wearing luxurious jewelry and clothing. Bakura felt a faint pang of raw hatred pluck at his nerves. He knew nothing about the young Egyptian except that some part--some dormant part of him-- loathed his very existence. The boy raised his hand awkwardly, making everyone drop to the ground and bow, all except for Bakura, who wasn't visible to them to begin with and glared up at him with malice. He stormed away from the celebration and stalked off into a shaded alley, a partial shelter from the sweltering sunlight. He sat on a fruit crate and sighed, closing his eyes and desperately wanting to be in his own home again to protect his Hikari. Opening his eyes again, he found himself staring straight into a pair of lavender ones.

"What the—'  
His voice was cut off when the hooded figure seized him by the throat. His vision swam, and he clawed at his attacker, who had a vice like hold on his neck. A laugh that sounded hauntingly familiar to his own rolled out of the assailant's throat, silken and cold. Bakura went limp from lack of oxygen. How was this person even touching him? All of the other people ran through him like mist in the morning, but this man…

"Scared?" Came that chillingly proverbial sound, much too similar to his own voice.

"Who are you?" Bakura asked, slightly afraid of the answer he might receive, even though he had no idea what to expect.

"You should know." Came the childlike hum of the stranger.

"Why should I?" Bakura demanded, grabbing once again at the man's hands.

"You should remember…" he crooned.

"Tell me already!"

He simply huffed, sliding his hood off. Bakura's eyes widened. His eyes were a striking amethyst, and his hair was as white as the moon itself. He had sun kissed skin and a slightly feminine appearance to his face, masked over by apparently male features.

"You're that kid!" Bakura shouted, taking in a gasp which stung his throat.

"You're that kid."

"What happened in that village? How did you manage to escape…what happened?" Bakura asked, ignoring the comment made by the now teenaged child he saw in his last nightmare. He ran his fingers along the jagged scar that covered his entire cheek. Noticing he had reached out and touched the stranger, he drew his hand back quickly, blush crawling across his face.

"You know already." He said, his voice harder than before. He let go of Bakura, watching him with a small frown on his face as he coughed and took in deep breaths. "You remember. Look into yourself and you'll see." He said,stepping into a dark corner of the alley.

"Wait a second!" Bakura called out, reaching out to him in the blackness. When his hands met nothing but a cold wisp of air, he stood puzzled.  
"It's time to wake up, Bakura…" Came the boy's voice, echoing in Bakura's head, a ghostly smoothness to it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Quick, let's get outta here!" Kenshi said, rushing out of the door and buckling his belt.  
Tsukoshi grabbed a bag of the two of Bakura and Ryou's belongings and tossed it out of the door to his ackey, before turning forebodingly to Ryou and standing over him, shadow looming intiidatingly. Ryou lay in a crumpled heap on the floor, buttoning his clothes shakily in the wash of light from the street lamps outside. He could try to make a run for it, but his legs felt like they would never work again, let alone carry him to any kind of police station. Plus, he had to stay with Bakura and be strong for him. 

"You utter a WORD to the cops, or that waste of oxygen on the floor over there, and we'll be back for more than just your sweet ass." He said, jabbing a finger at Ryou's bottom.

Ryou scowled at him with tired, bloodshot eyes. If he had the strength..."Okay. I'll be quiet." He croaked, nodding his head weakly. Spiteful and angry tears stung his eyes as he cradled himself, wincing as his hands brushed across a bruise. With that, the two men dashed out of the disheveled apartment, leaving Ryou to tremble in the darkness. He sobbed softly, hoisting himself off of the couch with the help of an end table and leaned against the wall, his strength waning with every choked cry he let escape his mouth.

"Bakura…" He said, his voice barely audible. He limped over to him, a flicker of hope showing in his face as the spirit began to stir.

"Ryou?" He groaned drowsily, reaching out into the inky darkness.

"I'm right here…" He answered, intertwining his fingers in Bakura's and putting tremendous effort into talking with a steady voice.

"Are you alright?" He asked, panic lying under the serious tone of his question.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Ryou said, his voice cracking slightly. He pulled Bakura up and placed his hand in the others, guiding him through the hallway and into their bedroom without so much as glancing over at a light switch. He knew that if Bakura saw him, he'd be discovered. Even though he had an even greater reason to be afraid of the dark, right now he used it as his ally.

"Didn't…wasn't someone in—"

"No. Hush.Let’s just go to bed." Ryou interjected stonily. He wasn't going to let Bakura know about what happened. Not yet. He was already having problems of his own, and he didn't need rape added to one of his stressors. He led Bakura clumsily through their room, before finally collapsing down on the mattress.

Bakura scowled at Ryou in the dark, his hairs practically standing on end. There was no way he was telling the truth. Without so much as a sound he shoved past Ryou and flicked on the bedroom light. Ryou's eyes widened when he did so, and he quickly ducked under the sheets, facing away from Bakura.

"Hey." Bakura barked, gripping his shoulder.

"Ouch!" Ryou yelped. He clamped his hands over his mouth, immediately regretting his painful shout. Bakura tore the sheets off of him, his vision swimming a bit at the sight.

"Stop it!" Ryou squealed, trying to cover himself again. It was too late though. Bakura's face went blank and he had to hold onto the bed frame for support. Ryou's pajama top was torn at the collar, and his pants were hanging precariously on his waist, for they had been obviously stretched by greedy, wanting hands.

"What is this?" Bakura asked, his voice shaky.

"Nothing." Ryou answered, hugging himself to protect his body from Bakura's knowing eyes.

"What the hell is this?!" He hissed, slamming Ryou into the mattress by his wrist and pinning him down, jabbing a finger into one of the red bruises roughly.

"Ouch let me go!" Ryou whimpered, trying to struggle out of his grasp.

Bakura scoffed when he saw a bruise on his hikari's neck, followed by another on his collar bone. He looked at his own hands as they held Ryou's tiny wrists together and noticed more marks, indicating that he had been held down before now. He lifted Ryou's shirt slowly, his eyes widening as he came across more of the disgusting blotches on his once milky torso.

"They were here weren't they? Tsukoshi and the other bastard." Bakura let his eyelids flutter closed as he tried to reign in the rage simmering his blood, jaw clenching and unclenching as he recalled the brazen man’s face with near photographic memory. 

"Wh-what are you saying? No one was here." Ryou lied.

"Don't toy with me Ryou…" He hissed venomously, squeezing his wrists until he cried out.

"I wasn't supposed to tell anyone! Please stop Bakura that hurts!" Ryou pleaded, a fresh torrent of hot tears streaming down his face.

Bakura released him, getting off the bed abruptly and pacing around the room.  
"Bakura, come on..."

"I'll kill them."

"Stop it!"

"No you stop it! Shut the hell up Ryou, don’t tell me to stop." He growled. He was absolutely furious. He stomped down the hallway, muttering spiteful words as he flung open the closet door, grabbing his black coat off of its hanger and putting on a pair of sneakers.

"What are you doing?" Ryou asked, staggering out into the now illuminated hallway and leaning against a wall. “You don't think I'm going to let you out of my sight do you?" 

"I let you out of mine and look what happened!"

"Bakura—" Ryou started, panic more evident in his voice. 

"You're not changing my mind. I'm going to make sure that prick see's the light of day no more…" He said darkly, a sinister smirk playing on his lips as he gazed at the hilt of his knife in his hand.

"Don’t! I already told you I’m alright. They probably won’t come back here--”

"Who touched you first?"

"I'm not telling you!" 

"Tell me now or you'll regret even waking up this morning."

Ryou was taken back. His yami hadn't threatened him in a very long time, and it frightened him a bit. 

"The tall man…” He replied meekly, his voice quiet and regretful. “I think his name was—"

"Tsukoshi? Hm." Bakura scoffed, smiling widely again. He rifled through the closet, and chuckled darkly when his fingers met something cool. He felt the cool metal against his fingers with nostalgic fondness. Ryou just stared at him, his face pallid and his expression dire. They didn’t need to discuss what Bakura’s intentions were. Neither one of them talked about the millennium items much anymore since the events in which the spirits were extracted from them. No one really wanted to, after the things that had to be done. Still, he shoved the accursed jewelry into his pocket, not making eye contact with the frail and broken vessel he once inhabited.He walked briskly through the apartment and slid outside into the cold unforgiving night, a murderous glint in his crimson eyes.

"Are we going to have a bit of fun again, Bakura?" Came an excited voice from inside his head. 

Bakura blinked twice before continuing towards South Domino, dismissing the sound as nothing but a stray thought.What he didn't know was that he was just feeding the darkness what it wanted. Hatred. Murder. Everything it needed to be reawakened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wild chapter! Glad you made it through! Things are starting to pick up in the story, and more and more chracters are interacting with each other. Hope you're enjoying things so far, and thank you for the Kudos! 
> 
> This week is finals, so soon my sping semester will be over and I can start my summer break! Woo! More time to think about writing but not actually writing, you feel?

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading the first chapter! The next chapter update is scheduled for the 30th of January. Talk to you then!
> 
> -Windferret


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